According to an autopsy report, a
suspect has confessed to killing Marco McMillian, a 34-year-old
openly gay Mississippi mayoral candidate.
The May 1 report said that a suspect in
the case “admitted to killing Mr. McMillian and dumping his body
near the levee,” the AP reported.
So far, authorities have only one
suspect in custody, Lawrence Reed, 22.
Authorities mounted a search for
McMillan after his SUV collided head-on with another vehicle on
Tuesday, February 26. Reed was driving the SUV and McMillian was
nowhere to be found. The following day, officials from the Coahoma
County Sheriff's Department announced that they had found McMillian's
remains near the Mississippi River.
Reed was charged with the murder of
McMillian and he has been held without bond.
According to the autopsy report,
McMillian died from a lack of oxygen, but no specific reason was
given, and his body was unclothed.
McMillian, who graduated from
Clarksdale High School in 1997, returned from Memphis to his hometown
several months ago to run for mayor. He reportedly had big ideas for
Clarksdale, a town of about 17,800 residents.